Notes / Commercial Description:
Our first ever collaborative beer has all the familiar flavors of the season, but done with Epic style. To a base of strong, roasty, and chocolaty porter, we add 200 pounds of real pumpkin per batch, five spices and whole Madagascar vanilla beans. As you pour this deeply ruby brown beer, you’re greeted by the aroma of fresh cut squash,followed by rich chocolate. The flavor starts sweet with marshmallow,vanilla, and some pumpkin pie, then yields to a coffee roast and darkchocolate dryness. This beer is a great introduction for curious drinkers and a special holiday treat for fans of the style.

Reviews by loren01:

A: Pours into snifter a black color, small sized tan head with no lacing.
S: Smells much like a porter would. Roasted grains, chocolate and a little bit of spices and pumpkin
T: Lots of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee followed by a little pumpkin and pumkin spice flavor
M: Medium bodied, seems a little under carbonated and flat
O: This is an interesting beer, I think its the 1st pumpkin beer ive had thats been a dark beer. I kinda like the balance between the roasted malts and pumpkin.

More User Reviews:

8%ABV. per bottle label.Poured a deep roasted chesnut brown with a thinner light tan colored had atop.Aromas were on the lighter side with some vanilla and mild roast mainly.The flavor of this beer makes it with its complexity and how good it is,lightly roasted with some pie spice but the pumpkin flavor really stands out,a lingering vanilla flavor over top of roast in the finish.I think this beer is vastly underrated,it's complex and flavorful.I think Epic makes some top notch beer,this is top notch for the fall season.Got get some.

Poured cold from the bottle. This beer had a very dark brown/orange colour with minimal head. There smell is that of a subtle pumpkin pie: pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and spices. The smell was not as strong as many of the other pumpkin beers. The taste is similar to the smell as a subtle, but not overwhelming, pumpkin flavour hits right away. It then moves to a bitter/smokey aftertaste.

Dark brown in color with very little light seeping through. There's a fingernail of khaki colored head. Brussels lacing. Aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg are most prevalent. There's a faint whiff of pumpkin pie spice mixed in. The flavor is a blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, dark malt, plum, fig, and pumpkin. The mouth is a bit sticky and dry.

Absolutely caught off guard by this beer ! I was not expecting the flavor assault I got from this one. Pours, looks, feels and tastes more towards the stout end of the spectrum rather than on the porter side of things. Categorized as a Pumpkin ale is sure to throw some off . . . it did me. The pumpkin is there for sure, don't misunderstand. But it is done in such a way that leaves most other pumpkin beers still sitting in the patch watching this beer flourish as far as the style goes. Thick, roasty with hints of vanilla, chocolate and coffee, it is a great addition to your fall beer lineup.

A nice big glass of Pumpkin Porter, not really the season but damn it's interesting and a collaboration with DC Brau and Epic no less. Pours pitch black maybe light ruby highlights as it pours, dark tan head foaming thick. Aroma bright spice, big fleshy pumpkin gourds, with dark caramelized sugars coating the malts and vegetable additions. Beautiful beer I'm really enjoying the blend of flavors as it warms, fruity/gourd flesh...sugar coated dark roasts mix into a unique and wonderful beer along with light pumpkin spice enjoying every sip. Mouthfeel is a bit thin with even carbonation strong spices left behind between sips. Wonderful roasted malt pumpkin spice blended nicely with a moderate alcohol level, so interesting...I've never had anything else like this quite nice, something I will seek out again in the future.

This beer is dark brown with a big, rocky medium-brown head that's creamy and frothy yet very dense. Big, sticky lacing is left in pretty heavy deposits on the glass.
The aroma is light but not lacking. It's a good aroma diplaying great balance between the pumpkin and the spices without going too far or stopping too short on either. Spices seem to include the typical nutmeg and cinnamon with something a little leafier and gentler as well as something gently hot but not peppery.
The taste follows suit. It's a very nice, well-balanced and potent flavor, even adding a bit of hoppiness, until a strange thing happens: within just a short time, the pumpkin and spices fade out and I find I'm just drinking a regular porter. I like porters, and it's a good one, but this is not supposed to happen.
The mouthfeel is good, an appropriate medium body with moderate carbonation setting the stage for a fairly thick and creamy brew.

Appearance: Pours a beautiful, completely opaque, pitch-black color with a half of a finger of caramel-colored head that dissolved away into a thin lacing of foam that completely covered the top of the beer.

Aroma: Very aromatic! Tons of roasted malt up front, imparting notes of freshly toasted pumpernickel bread, followed by tons of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and brown sugar.

Taste: Strong flavors of roasted malt up front, imparting notes of freshly toasted pumpernickel bread, followed by some flavors of roasted pumpkin, which imparted a touch of smoke, followed by the pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger and brown sugar-like sweetness. Delicious!

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with some good, but not assertive carbonation. With an ABV of 7.5%, there is no alcohol on the palate.

Overall: This is very good beer! I love the strong flavors of malt, roasted pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. I’d certainly get it again!

Poured into a pilsner glass, dark roasted amber color with just a bit of head but persistent lacing.

Smell was a bit underwhelming, expected more character here, just a bit of toasted malt and grain and nothing given away to the squash itself.

Taste is malty, subtle peppery but PUMPKIN comes through rich and well balanced with hop. Feels a bit thin in the middle, but left with a wonderful pumpkin aftertaste.

Finishes well, aside from a bit thin mid-mouth taste this beer just hit me right on a fall night with a real chill in the brisk wind. Seemed just about perfect for the occasion and the best pumpkin styled porter I have had.